There’s been a lot of talk of late about price of coffee in the west, with some cafes advertising ‘Melbourne prices’ to get us through their doors.

And it's been a win for the caffeine lovers ... but what about the caffeine lovers with kids?

Over the past couple of months with my young sons, who've been more than happy to help, I've conducted an undercover investigation to find out about the cost of the cappuccino's kid brother – the babycino.

We started at Karrinyup shops and tried Gloria Jeans one week and The Daily Bagel over in the food court the next.

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Both of those places offered babycinos free when I ordered a grown-up coffee. And that's two freebies each time – one for each son (although we lucked out on the marshmallow front at The Daily Bagel, where a babycino was actually code for warm milk rather than something that could be scooped with a spoon).

I was starting to get the feeling my investigation was going to find that babycinos were just a nice thanks to parents for their business.

Marshmallow adds zest to a babycino Photo: Elissa Griesser

A friend of mine, who I should point out is originally from Melbourne, says that's how it should be.

"It's goodwill," she says.

I thought perhaps she was right, and that the only places who charged for kid coffees were going to be the places that didn't really want kids at their establishments.

But then I took my boys to the Beach House indoor play centre in Osborne Park – somewhere that definitely wants the kid clientele. Babycino - $1. On the upside we got double marshmallows.

We also checked out Miss Maud, where a babycino cost $1.25, and Dome at the Innaloo cinema, where they were $1.30.

Then we went for the proper Perth cafe strip experience.

Firstly we checked out Sayers in Leederville where the babycinos there were $1.50 each. I thought it was a bit exxy until they came out and they were the biggest and best looking we'd ever seen.

The service was extra friendly too. The waiter even checked with me that it was okay to add some chocolate buds to the side.

Take a look at the finished product. (There were actually two marshmallows there, but Junior swiped one straight away!)

Next I had breakfast with a friend at Cranked in Leederville and took my four-year-old with me. He was served up a fab looking babycino for $1.50 too.

And last up, I took both sons to Walk Café in Subiaco. It's one of the places that advertises 'Melbourne coffee prices' on the blackboard out the front.

But while my double shot skinny flat white was a discounted $3.50, there weren't any price cuts on the kids' drinks. Again, they were $1.50 each. At least the quality was good.

So $1.50 for babycinos at Perth's café strips. Surely that's where prices were capped, right?

Well apparently not because on the long weekend my family headed down south. While we were away, we went to Cheeky Monkey's Brewery near Margaret River.

It's a great spot for kids, with outside play equipment. But check out what I spotted on the menu:$3 for a babycino.

I didn't order one (because I would have had to order two) so I can't say if it was worth it. But on face value – it felt like a rip off.

So how much should parents pay for babycinos?

Of course, I'm keen on the freebies we get with a regular coffee, although I realise there's a small cost to the cafes so I'm happy enough to pay a little (a dollar seems more than reasonable) but not a lot. Three dollars is ridiculous.

These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.

34 comments

I agree with a small charge. You are after all using there time and equipment.

Commenter

Denise

Location

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 7:37AM

Why on earth do you expect these things for free? They cost almost as much to produce as a coffee in terms of staff cost, cups, milk and all the other add-ons plus they clog up the barista and stop them making coffees the venue can charge for. Café owners are not there to entertain or indulge your children, they have a business to run.

Commenter

jperthjperth

Location

St Kilda

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 7:56AM

Now now my Capitalist friend calm down. If an adult is purchasing a coffee at full price and asks for a babycino, how could it cost for foam when they had to make it anyway for the full paying adult then walk to the table to serve the coffee? Taking two cups of coffee from the coffee machine to the table costs no more than carrying one or five for that matter!

Commenter

Perhaps not

Location

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 1:11PM

@perhaps not,By your logic if I order two coffees they should only charge me for one.

Commenter

DMcC

Location

Perth

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 1:44PM

*slaps forehead* No! Its FOAM! You don't add all the foam generated in one jug of milk to one coffee! Unless the cafe is busy and making lots of coffee the excess foam should be discarded if its not going to be used immediately.

Commenter

Perhaps not

Location

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 3:01PM

*double slaps head*So using your reasoning, what's the difference between ordering two cappuccinos or ordering a cappuccino with a babycino? A single shot of coffee, which is worth about $0.50. So should my friend's cappuccino cost only $0.50 if I order it with my cappucino? By your logic: Yes.

And yes, it's FOAM (stop shouting) but it's NOT JUST FOAM (no, seriously, stop shouting).It's also:A cup (to buy and to wash, and occasionally break).A seat (to buy and to provide space for, which costs rent).Service (to make the drink, take your money, clean up after you, etc, etc).The coffee machine used to make the foam (those things are damned expensive).Electricity.Store fit-out, etc, etc, etc... all the things that make a cappuccino cost $4 instead of the $0.50 value of the coffee.

Commenter

DMcC

Location

Perth

Date and time

June 14, 2013, 3:38PM

Babycinos... is there anything with more middle class pompousness than these?